Appearance: Easily recognisable by his gigantic 7’9 height and a smile that stretches from ear to ear, Emile Antiqua is not a person one likely forgets quickly. With very dark brown hair that could easily pass for black in a regular taper cut, dark amber eyes, and an angle to his face that gives him a dashing, roguish charm, one could easily imagine him to be younger than his age, but the interlaced streaks of grey in both his hair and well-trimmed beard indicate otherwise. Emile’s unnaturally tall height, combined with a muscular body allows him to tower over any crowd and intimidate anyone if he so wished, but also brings the side effects of basically always being stared at and having to duck at basically any doorway.

When not out protecting his village from any stray Grimm or going hunting with some of his old mates, Emile dresses surprisingly up-to-date: a static-pattern henley shirt, light brown chinos and loafers - all sized up appropriately for someone of his stature. Naturally, clothes of his size are hard to come by in any regular store - so he has made deals with tailors to supply him with clothing should his old wear come to some unfortunate end.

History: Emile’s story is a long one for his age, spanning multiple continents over the years. Born in Vacuo’s scorching deserts immediately before his Vacuan parents decided to move to Vale due to the ever-looming threat of the Grimm by the name of the Shiru, he never knew his original home much, though to this day he remembers the unparalleled heat and the blazing sun shining high above the sparse clouds. Upon his relocation to the much more modernised city of Vale, both his parents - his dad a former blacksmith and his mother a clothes peddler - attempted to find work in their previous occupations. While his mother eventually became a waiter in a nearby cafe, his father found a job in a local steelworks, his resistance to heat from being born in Vacuo and constant exposure to a furnace making him a valuable worker.

While the combined efforts of Emile’s parents granted them sufficient income to afford their new place of a small apartment in a quiet corner of Vale, the long hours they worked resulted in them having little time to interact with and teach Emile about the workings of the world. Eventually, Emile’s mother started bringing the now 6-year old child to her cafe at work so she could keep an eye on him while she worked. During this time, Emile amused himself by listening to stories from customers, many of whom were regulars and soon became fond of the young, curious and gentle child. Among the tales they spun, many involved the adventurous deeds of the defenders of cities and villages, the protectors of mankind: Huntsmen and Huntresses, the pinnacle of human’s defense. Or so they claimed. Either way, Emile was engrossed. He wanted to experience for himself what it felt like to be a hero, to stand and defend all that life stood for.

However, one crucial roadblock stood in his way; neither of his parents came from fighting stock, and neither was he. He had no way of unlocking this mystical “Aura” the stories spoke of, the magical shield that protected all Huntsmen from harm. And when he discussed this topic with his parents, they absolutely forbid him from ever trying to unlock his own Aura. They’d seen the destruction left by the Shiru and wanted no part of it. Dismayed by their reaction but unwilling to give up yet, Emile approached one of the regulars at the cafe and asked for help with his dream. In hindsight, he now realises the only reason they even agreed to help was because of his size. For a kid who was merely now 9, he had the height of short adult, something that came completely unexpected considering his parents were not of particularly tall stature. Still, the Huntsman the regular introduced Emile to saw untapped potential in the kid, and agreed to train him secretly. Under the guise of studying and playing in the nearby playgrounds, Emile would sneak off after school and practice under the Huntsman’s guidance. Apart from releasing his Aura, the Hunter focused on improving Emile’s natural strength by designing a simple workout routine that he could do at home. Having to keep up with his studies while simultaneously training his body was taking its toll, but Emile persevered. His life felt like it had actual meaning now.

As the years went by, Emile grew. Now the age of 13 but with the body of a full-grown adult, his training had borne fruit. His training with a sword, his mentor’s choice of weapon, was not nearly as successful as his other exploits, but he was as ready for Signal as he could be at that point. Going home that night he mentally prepared himself to break the news to his parents, but he found them sitting at the table with a sad, melancholy expression on their faces. They’d figured out that Emile had intents on being a Huntsman long ago since he started coming back from his “studies” sweating and tired, but hadn’t said a word. To Emile, this was a sign of acceptance. But his parents had one condition: Never go back and fight the Shiru. Gladly taking the chance to try his hand against proper opposition, the boy entered Signal Academy wielding a cheap sword gifted by his mentor.

If Emile thought his time in Signal was going to be simple, he was in for a rude waking call. The amount of time spent with his mentor, and therefore lack of time spent with his parents, meant that they didn’t teach him the proper etiquette or how to converse with other people - without looking like an absolute idiot. Paired with his monstrous size when comparing him to fellow Hunters-in-training, and Emile stuck out like a Vacuan in water. It didn’t take long for the attention-seekers to find a target in the gentle giant, especially when he refused to fight back. They started with name-calling, then moved on to harsher words and jabs at his physique. It was only thanks to his size that Emile’s bullies didn’t go physical at first, but with each day in Signal it became more apparent that his time spent building his body figure didn’t apply to his skill with a sword. To him, nothing felt right in his hand. Short swords felt like toothpicks, two-handed blades felt like swinging a log. This didn’t go unnoticed by both the teachers and his classmates, many who began to scorn the boy for getting in simply because of his natural size. Soon enough his “torturers” caught on that Emile wouldn’t raise a hand to retaliate if they started using physical force.

So they did.

Emile took to hiding when not in lessons, whether it be during breaks, lunch, or any time he didn’t have a lesson. Unfortunately, a person his size would have trouble finding places where they’d be able to hide or fit in, and considering he stood over even the second tallest boy in the school, it was fairly obvious that it was him. There was no proof he was being hit, either - Aura’s knack of healing all wounds conveniently removed any evidence for his bullies. As long as they didn’t break his Aura, they could get off relatively easily. Each time, Emile ended up huddled in a corner while scores of his abusers, some jealous of his size and others merely cruel in nature, rained punches and kicks on the cowering boy. It didn’t take long for Emile to start wishing his Aura didn’t exist so the torture would stop, to find some way, no matter how vague, to defend himself…

His soul responded in one of the most resonating ways it could. When, during another bullying session, one of the most prominent bullies raised a wrench taken from Signal’s workshop to smash down on Emile’s head, his light green Aura exploded with light for a singular second before the wrench was knocked flying, as was the student who now lay stunned on the floor. Seeing the offender on the floor without Emile having moved a finger disheartened the crowd, and they fled the scene quickly leaving the boy confused yet emboldened. When he eventually brought the subject up with his teachers (hiding his reason why the situation developed), they realised that Emile’s soul had been tempered by his constant experiences, developing his own countermeasures to fight back without technically doing anything - his Semblance had revealed itself. And while they had just recently realised that such bullying was happening within school grounds, they didn’t have enough evidence to step in and halt the actions. Besides, the teaching staff recognised this as a opportunity for Emile to develop his own sense of independence. It seemed he’d taken his first step.

But though Emile had won a temporary respite with the discovery of his Semblance, he knew enough by now to know that his assailants would come back as hard as before. He needed to find a permanent solution, one that didn’t involve fighting back - for as much as he’d been attacked both physically and mentally, he was still the same boy who knew that hurting other humans wasn’t the right thing to do. As such, he turned to an unlikely answer - humor. By making himself someone of ‘value’ to others they’d eventually stop harming him, he reasoned. And though it was the most unnatural thing in the world to begin with, it actually worked - his attempts at banter and humor gradually building Emile a group of friends who appreciated the chat. Once he had made bonds with a fairly significant portion of his year, the bullies could no longer simply pick on him without risky consequences, and slowly started leaving him alone. Without his most difficult roadblock in the way of his progress, Emile made swift progress catching up on lessons he’d otherwise forgotten and graduated Signal significantly more confident in himself, both physically and socially. No longer the awkward boy who couldn’t talk about a topic for more than half a minute; while also not the most popular, his sense of humor had developed him into someone who could slide into a conversation and break the ice with ease.

Entering Beacon with a newfound personality that made him instantly well known around the new year of students, it didn’t take long for Emile to find a team that he could get along with and vice versa. After a bit of “getting-to-know-each-other” time, made easy with Emile’s ice-breaking skills, they were assigned a simple initiation to retrieve a lost document from a now abandoned laboratory. While it sounded simple enough, their Bullhead was attacked mid-flight by a displeased flock of Nevermores that didn’t take kindly to the team travelling through their airspace. The transport was sent crashing out of the sky, forcing the team to practice their “landing strategy”. While they all landed safely next to the wreckage of the Bullhead, Emile lost his sword during the fall, so he grabbed the next best thing for a weapon: a large piece of dented and ripped Bullhead wing in the general shape of a sword and wrapped his clothing around it for a temporary grip. Surprisingly, it felt more stable and balanced than any other sword he’d swung before, despite the uneven shape, and they fought off the Nevermores with minimal problems before making the long trek back to Beacon, fighting off small packs of Grimm while doing so. While they technically didn’t complete the initiation, the instructor with them gave them the approval anyway due to the teamwork they exhibited in a stressful situation. Emile later took his Bullhead wing to the forge and reshaped it into something more befitting of a sword, which his team named Gigantes due to its size. Though the rest of their first year was less eventful and more successful than their initiation attempt, as was their second year, Emile felt constricted, slightly trapped. He didn’t want to spend all four years in Vale after already doing so in Signal, for his soul was begging for new horizons and exciting adventures. So when an opportunity came for students to embark on an exchange program between the four combat academies, Emile bid farewell to his team and took everything he had on board a ship bound for the walls of Atlas Academy, promising that he’d be back to graduate in his fourth year.

In his third year, Emile transferred to Atlas with the intent of learning from one of the most strict, most rigid academies. The militaristic style of teaching was worlds apart from Beacon’s more laid-back attitude to teaching; here was a world of efficiency, technology and obeying orders. In truth, it didn’t fit Emile’s personality one bit. He chafed under being given constant commands and having to live like being in an army, but there were two things that enticed him to stay. The first factor was the level of technology available to Hunters or Specialists, people who weren’t going to be in the army. Here, Emile could make good on his ideas of creating a set of body armor, updating his old blueprints with the help of some of the instructors that specialised in defense outside of Aura. This allowed him greater longevity in battle, superior to what he would be able to achieve with only his Aura reserves. With what resources he had on hand and assistance from people more experienced than him, Emile forged his first set of armor that was deemed actually combat ready.

The second factor was a girl named Marina. When they first met in one of their classes, Emile was instantly taken in by her stunning beauty, like a newly blooming hydrangea breaking through a layer of snow during spring. Herein lay a new problem; while Emile was now fully confident in his socialising skills, love was something he hadn’t ever experienced. Suddenly, the usually voluble teenager was tripping over his feet and stuttering every second word whenever he had to talk with Marina, whether it be on a training exercise or just bumping into her outside classes. ‘Coincidentally’. Either way, each conversation, each encounter added more fuel to Emile’s newly ignited fire within his soul, whether Marina knew it or not. His classmates certainly did, judging by the nudges and giggles he got whenever he tried to approach her. If before his life existed solely to become a Huntsman, now a new path had been illuminated, another future showing itself. Perhaps there was more meaning to his life than just fighting.

Alas, his third year in training came to an end swifter than the day drawing to a close on a bitter winter night. Emile had to fulfill his promise to his old teammates to finish his studies in Beacon, no matter how enjoyable he’d found his time at Atlas (largely thanks to a certain someone). As such, he bade farewell to the few new friends he’d made - taking one last longing glance at the girl he’d come to admire - before returning to familiar grounds and plunging into his studies once more. In his free time, he sought out armorsmiths in Vale to help him improve his armor, as well as constantly sparring in it to gain more experience. Eventually, he rejoined his old team who couldn’t believe the change one year at Atlas had wrought, as well as his stories of meeting the most beautiful girl to ever exist.

Graduating Beacon with flying colors alongside his team, Emile instantly found work as a official Huntsman due both to his size and his experiences in two combat academies, and soon built himself a small reputation as an iron fortress who would not waver when tasked with defending settlements against oncoming waves of Grimm, yet became the most gentle of people when in simple conversation. Perhaps as well known as his unfaltering sense of humor was the mere sight of his sword, which many tried to swing and failed. However, it was his one-year exchange with Atlas that brought him to the attention of the Vale government as they approached him with a request. The Atlesian and Valian forces were joining together for a co-op mission they were code-naming Operation Iron Flower, an extermination mission that would be carried out on the jungles of western Vale which included some of the largest Grimm on record. To that end, they needed Hunters with a trustworthy reputation as well as being able to cooperate with Atlesian Special Forces, which Emile had experience with. With little hesitation, Emile signed on.

The mission involved Hunters from both Vale and Atlas, with Atlesian airships standing by in the sky to provide aerial support. Valish Hunters knew the territory, Atlesian Special Forces brought the tactical advantage and technical superiority. Yet despite this, the combined forces were almost overrun by the sheer variety of Grimm that were hiding in the forest, from Totocoatls, Underminers, Shenzi, Sabors, Kaiju to the more standard yet equally lethal King Taijitu and full-grown Beringel. Not only did they have more numbers that were being constantly reinforced, the mishmash of Grimm came together to form a deadly combination that almost proved too much for the Hunters. Emile himself fought until his Aura broke and then continued until his armor was ripped and destroyed, his left arm punctured with poisonous bites from multiple Grimm and Gigantes snapped in half by a particularly enraged Ursa Major, all to cover his retreating allies while airships rained death from the skies. As his consciousness succumbed to the weariness and the poison beginning to flow through his blood, he thought he could see the girl he once loved dropping from the skies like an angel coming to bring him away...

”Hello again, Emile.” Waking to those words was one of the most shocking and simultaneously amazing moments he’d ever experienced in his life. On the one hand, he wasn’t dead, though everything felt like ten tons of Grimm had fallen on it. But on the other...that face. Those shining, wide eyes, that gorgeous hair, those rosy cheeks - his angel had truly descended from the heavens. While Emile lay stunned in his bed, Marina explained all that had happened while he was out. The mission, despite the odds, was a resounding success. Thanks to his noble sacrifice, there were no casualties, only injuries - which was where she came in. She and her specialist team were standing by in the backlines ready to either evacuate or heal any Hunters who were in a tight spot, but due to the high number of Grimm and the cover fire of the gunships, they couldn’t get in as quickly as they wanted to. Marina’s voice started breaking and thin streams of tears dripped down her face as she reflected that it was her fault that Emile was in the condition he was currently, but it abruptly stopped as he slowly raised his right hand and brushed his thumb softly across her tears, reminding and thanking Marina that he would be dead if it wasn’t for her aid. While he gradually healed with Marina by his side boosting his recovery, they got to know each other on levels much deeper and more intimate than they did when both were teenagers with Emile working his charm to the best of his ability. Within the month of his recovery, they both felt like they’d known each other for more than the short duration of their meeting.

When Emile was deemed fully ready to return to regular Huntsman life, he’d already been transferred from the temporary camp set up for the operation’s wounded to a proper hospital, Marina accompanying him every step of the way. Upon his release from medical care, Marina told him that she’d written a resignation letter to her superiors and was discharged with all honors. She was now free to follow him wherever his journey now led of her own volition, but before that Emile needed to fix his other problem of gear. With the help of his teammates, Marina’s contacts and the Lien he was paid for being a part of Operation Iron Flower, Emile designed and forged himself a new, highly upgraded set of body armor as well as a “reincarnated” Gigantes. The duo travelled Remnant as a tag-team pair of Hunters upholding the sacred creed and defending humanity from Grimm, just like the stories Emile was told when he was but a kid. He’d accomplished his dream, but there was new meaning in his life now. After saving up a considerable sum of Lien from the missions they were taking, as well as consulting with his parents secretly, Emile proposed to Marina one night in front of a blazing campfire in the woods with the twinkling stars and the unending sky as witness, presenting to her an exquisite pink sapphire ring and vowing, now and forevermore, to protect her from harm, to stand with her against all troubles, to love and cherish her until the end of all creation. One of his most treasured moments was Marina allowing him to slip the delicate metalwork of the ring around her finger, the multifaceted gem reflecting both the flames from the roaring fire and the flames that were blazing hotly in his soul.

The now married couple searched for a place to settle down, eventually choosing the quiet island of Patch off the coast of Vale to start their new life. Hiring a contractor to build a relatively simple but modern house for them to live in, they conceived two children, naming them Setsuna and Jocelyn, each reflecting mixed assets of their parents. Now, Emile no longer takes on missions for a living, instead choosing to work as a part-time lumberjack while Marina spends her working time in a hospital healing the wounded as a way to provide for both their children’s education, though both regularly accept local missions to cull the ever-rising Grimm population and keep their skills from dulling.

Personality: Once a highly awkward kid who didn’t know how to respond to simple greetings or conversation starters, Emile is now a natural at bridging conversations and breaking the ice at new meetings, borne from a necessity during times gone past. Though his size may come across as intimidating, he tries to put others at ease with his easygoing attitude and cheer. Additionally, Emile’s humor is a defining trait of his personality, with a regular tendency to crack jokes among familiar faces and unknown strangers alike, though he is also an excellent judge of when he is overstepping his boundaries.

When it comes to his immediate family, Emile becomes a completely different beast. Hugely protective doesn’t begin to describe how he feels, doubly so for Marina. Even so, he’s gotten over it to the point where his children can come back injured and he doesn’t walk out to take the head of whoever did the deed. Overly gentle and kind, he can be a little too doting at times and is aware of this, but has done nothing to change that fact.

In battle, Emile is the first to engage and the last to leave - a perfect representation of his protective personality in that he refuses to let anyone else get hurt if he can help it. He’ll stop to pick people up who have fallen, encourage and boost morale of others, and does usually volunteer to break through tight spots or enemy barricades where the first person through would take the most damage. In short, he counteracts feelings of negativity when in battle, a good repellent against Grimm.

Aura: Aura Color: Light GreenEmile’s gentle light green aura is a perfect representation of who the intimidating giant truly is. Though the Hunter is physically past his prime, every Aura technique he has ever learned still retains most of its potency; Aura Strength and Shield being his specialties. Notably, while fighting Emile commonly brings up an Aura Shield to block attacks even though he still takes the damage like before, the main intent of this being to retain distance between the opponent.

Semblance:Full Counter - For a single second, Emile’s Aura is capable of reflecting any form of attack aimed at him toward its attacker. This affects his entire body in all directions, and can reflect as many attacks within that time period. This attack must have come from an non-natural source, like Hunters or Grimm, and excludes any attacks from the environment like a lightning bolt from a rainstorm. This also applies to Semblances - as long as the attack is generated via the Semblance then it applies. There is no visible cue that Emile is using his Semblance, making it a useful surprise tool.

Physical attacks, such as sword slashes and spear thrusts, will have its kinetic power “rotated” 180° and sent toward the original attacker with the same speed, damage and Dust effects that may have been active on the attack. This “attack” is invisible to the human eye since it is reflecting the kinetic force. Equally, ranged attacks like bullets, arrows or missiles will be instantly “rotated” and returned to sender with the same angle and velocity, being treated as if the attack was launched by the user and not the attacker. Following this logic, spread from shotgun pellets would be “reset” as if the shell was freshly launched, while any form of fuel-propelled projectile like missiles would not have their propellant restored. Raw Dust effects like Fire or Electricity are similarly blasted back at the attacker and treated as if Emile was the one using the Dust instead.

Obviously, such a fine-tuned Semblance has its drawbacks. While using Full Counter renders Emile completely immune to any attacks and returning the damage to the original attacker, he also has to make sure that the timing is within that split second for Full Counter to trigger. As such, any attacks that catch him by surprise are much more likely to hit, as well as any attacks that travel faster than Emile can register with his sight and reaction time. Due to Emile not having relied on his Semblance much during his pre-Huntsman years, the full potential of this Semblance - unlike other veteran Hunters - is still yet to be unleashed, though due to his age that potential is slowly diminishing. As such, it has remained relatively unchanged from his teenage years - apart from its recharge time, which now only takes 15 seconds to recharge every use from its initial minute. Independant from that is the number of times Emile can use his Semblance is quick succession, remaining unchanged from his teenage years at 15 uses every hour.

Combat Behavior: Emile’s behavior in battle depends on what opponents he’s fighting and what conditions the battle’s taking place in. This can mostly be separated into two categories: Against Grimm and Against Hunters.

In either case, his large size and tall height work against him; the extra height means that his heart has to pump blood that much harder than regular humans, while also taking more time to circulate blood around his entire body. Of special note would be his legs, which are the furthest away from his heart. This leads to Emile being unable to cover any long distance without having to take constant breaks, which also applies to his arms, though not as seriously. During his teenage and prime years, this was less of a problem as he kept in prime physical shape, but after retiring the symptoms rebounded in full force, leaving Emile with around half his original maximum wielding time of half a hour. While he does also suffer from lower blood circulation, Marina is consistently checking on his condition and ensuring it does not evolve into a serious problem.

✶ Against Grimm: Whether or not Emile brings his full body armor into the fight depends on what sort of mission he’s undertaking; search-and-destroy variants tend toward a longer mission with more movement and stamina required, so the armor is less suited toward that purpose. On the other hand, defending an objective (villages, cargo, etc) demands longer engagements that take the fight to him instead of vice versa, so this is where the armor comes into play.

When on missions that require eliminating of a target/multiple objectives, Emile brings only his sword for the hunt. His mobility is unhindered and thus allows his stamina to be fully dedicated to the pursuit and the fight ahead, though not his preferred style - even without the armor he tends to lag behind due to his natural height being a hinderance. Equally, while other allies take up roles such as the ranged damage dealer or the swift and silent distraction, Emile is the vanguard of any team, taking the attention of the enemy due to his intimidating size and weapon. While he has little tools to avoid the damage, rest assured he is more than capable of returning it twofold.

Defense is Emile’s forte: his size does not lend well to quick, in-and-out fights. Similarly, his Semblance is defense-oriented and clearly used to protect himself from being overwhelmed by quick attacks or simply too many attacks at once. However, when his tools are turned to defense he truly shines above the rest; swarms of Grimm are dispatched by the power of a single swing, while he can single-handedly stand as an equal to some of the largest Grimm on offer. When all other Hunters have exhausted their Aura defending a point, Emile can remain holding despite having lost his Aura and Semblance thanks to his full body armor protecting his vitals, though he knows that his defense is not impervious; once his Aura is down he acts as the vanguard to protect his retreating allies, while simultaneously doing so himself.

The longer a battle goes on, the more his strengths and weaknesses show; while Emile can remain fighting, it won’t help if his stamina is exhausted. His size means he tends not to spend energy dodging and instead just takes the hit, something which is inadvisable if he goes up against anything beyond his caliber. While his sword swings cover a large area and the nature of the greatsword allows Emile to chain cuts together efficiently, it isn’t a particularly effective tool against quick-moving targets. In addition, he has absolutely no effective tools against flying targets unless they are immobilised. Emile is best suited to fighting large hordes of Grimm or keeping groups of lightly armed attackers at bay with the long reach of his sword, although not without more than one trick up his sleeve.

✶ Against Hunters: Fighting fellow Hunters normally indicates that it’s a friendly spar or a battle with imposed Aura rules ; therefore Emile shuns his full body armor since it would be useless and only hinder his movement. Even so, his mobility is still reduced by his weapon, causing him to adopt a more defensive “wait for the opponent to strike first” attitude toward combat. Emile firstly aims to engage the opponent at his ideal range (being within range of his weapon) and prioritises this, meaning ranged opponents get opportunities to chip away at him while he repositions on the battlefield. While his sword is large enough to act as a pseudo-shield, his size negates most of the benefits that provides.

When Emile does eventually get in range, his attacks are slower but naturally hit hard. The length of his sword acts as a buffer zone that prevents any melee fighters from approaching without consequences, and while people might assume that due to his size he’s not quick on his feet, he certainly doesn’t fit the bill for most standard tanks or bruisers: even with his gigantic but balanced sword he’s surprisingly nimble, though obviously not a match for anyone who even remotely specialises in that sort of combat. Matching his personality, Emile is not one to trash-talk opponents, considering it a dishonest way of battle, and scorns others who do. When going up against Emile, expect a standard, honest fight yet never drop one’s guard.

His weaknesses against Hunters are similar to those when fighting Grimm: Stamina is once again a big issue when using a sword of that size. Creating a “no-entry” zone with the length of his blade means nothing to those with the reflexes or natural speed to get around the area of effect, meaning he is easily countered by people who specialise in speed or Hunters who have a mobility option. While he does have a way to counterattack against ranged opponents in his rocket, it is single-use, meaning he has to take cover behind his blade or natural obstacles and be unable to fight back.

WEAPON

Name: Gigantes Reincar

Primary Form: Arguably one of, if not the, largest weapons ever to be made on Remnant, Gigantes is a 11’ long greatsword used solely by Emile. While at first glance the sword may look too heavy to lift, anyone with a decent level of training in Aura Strength (Third Year Academy Training / onward) can wield the sword with a good amount of speed for around two to three minutes, belying the sword’s true weight. A relatively long and thick quadrilateral of metal is welded under the handle of the sword to counterbalance the length of the sword’s body, and the handle is telescopic, able to extend into a dual-handed grip.

Secondary Form: The quadrilateral of metal under the handle detaches into a short mace, effectively removing half the length of the handle. While Emile is unable to dual-wield both the greatsword and the mace at the same time for long, it is an effective deterrent to prevent enemies from entering point-blank range. A toggle of a switch opens up the head of the mace, revealing a single missile stored within. This cannot be used while the mace is still attached to the main sword.

Dust Functions: While the sword itself is a faithful replication of its ancestors by not having any dust capabilities, the mace is powered by both Kinetic and Electric Dust, enabling it to be rapidly spun at high speeds as well as be electrified, acting as a stun baton. The rocket itself uses no Dust.

History: After the events of the Bullhead crash, Emile’s makeshift weapon in the form of the Bullhead wing was lugged back to Beacon, where he set about reshaping, reinforcing and reforging the dented and twisted metal into a shape more suited for a aerodynamic sword. This iteration of the weapon lasted until after his Huntsman training, wherein the creation of Gigantes Reincar came around after the reforged blade was once again destroyed during Operation Iron Flower, with the upgrades nearly doubling its length, adding more width to the body of the blade, and introducing the counterbalance to the now very long blade. The word “Reincar” derives from the word Reincarnation, symbolising the second rebirth of Emile’s weapon.

ARMOR

Name: Valkyrja

Description: When on missions that don’t generally require hunting down of a single target or movement over a wide duration of time, Emile dons a suit of full body armor, painted a regal gold as well as shades of liberty and ruddy blue, that allows him to remain on the battlefield for much longer than he usually would be able. For occasions where rules on Aura apply, he simply doesn’t wear it as doing so would reduce his mobility for no reason.

The armor worn comprises of a barbute with a curved eye visor, twin white long tapered horns that extend straight above the helm and a transparent screen within the visor which links to Emile’s scroll, mainly used to logging his Aura. A bulky closed cuirass with two small slits over the chest for ventilation covers Emile’s main body, noticeably thicker around the chest and shoulders, alongside twin overly large rounded pauldrons adorned with two large shoulder spikes that overlap slightly with his cuirass. Golden vambraces and gauntlets, the bottom of the fingers lined with segmented leather for better gripping, protect his arms while a fauld protects his hips and legs. The front and back skirting armor of the fault is articulated to swing forward to allow movement of either leg, while greaves padded with leather and felt cover the legs themselves. The footwear is a hybrid between a sabaton and a military boot; the top is made of numerous steel plates while the bottom is ridged like a boot for gripping on smooth and slick surfaces. The boot itself can expand the surface in contact with the ground in a circle for a larger surface area and better stability. Gaps underneath the armor reveal a layer of grey padded clothing worn underneath to prevent direct contact/friction with the skin.

While putting the entire suit of armor on is not impossible for Emile alone, the process takes a considerable amount of time. Most pieces of armor are hinged so he can close the piece around his designated limb, including his breastplate and vambraces. However, in order to efficiently equip himself he must put each piece on in a specific order to not obstruct the placement. All in all it takes a good 7 minutes to go from suitless to armored, up to 10 when on his own. However, when put on it does little to restrict Emile’s range of movement due to the weight being spread evenly across each piece, and his articulation is not hindered whatsoever. Removing his armor is much quicker, taking about 3 minutes on average.

History: Originally inspired and conceived in Atlas Academy where technology was abundant, Emile’s first set of body armor was his attempt at replicating ancient suits of armor that knights would wear with a extra technological twist. Although crude and clearly made by a beginner, it served its purpose and allowed Emile to fight on after Aura depletion with additional risk. However, it was rendered unusable after Operation Iron Flower, with many pieces torn to shreds and others buckled to the point of unrecognizability.

Emile’s second and current set was a completely different story. Among the many tales he was told as a child, one particular legend tells of a team of four mighty Huntsmen from the four corners of Remnant, each specialising in one unique category. The Hunter from the east was said to wear a magical cloak which granted him complete control over winds both weak and strong. The Hunter from the west wore upon his feet a pair of boots, said to directly harness the power of the ground itself and grant the user immense stability. Wherein the Hunter from the south brandished a blade that represented offense taken material form, the Hunter from the north was said to be adorned with a suit of armor, unyielding in its defense and unflinching as a bastion of a steel fortress.

The truth of this tale is yet to be confirmed, but it was the direct inspiration of Emile’s creation. Before delving into the creation of this ‘sacred’ armor piece, Emile sought out all the information he could find on the tale and enlisted the help of many armorsmiths across both Vale and Atlas, Marina’s contacts within the Atlesian Army proving a lifesaver. With the Lien he had at hand from the success of Operation Iron Flower, Emile spent many days laboring in the forge with the help of his father. Iteration after iteration was put to the test, but none withstood the laborious gauntlet of conditions that Emile imposed on the suit, returning each meticulously crafted piece into rods of rough metal ready for the next forge, until design variant 36 met every single requirement and was considered worthy of continuing the tale. The name of the Hunter who once wore the legendary armor varied across each storyteller, but to Emile’s ears it would always take the name of Valkyrja.